Dispensing apparatus



March 26, 1968 RUBINOWITZ 3,375,049

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1966 f4 4/ FIG. I

INVENTOR. LEO RUBINOWITZ United States Patent 3,375,049 DISPENSINGAPPARATUS Leo Rubinowitz, Westport, Conn., assignor to American Machine& Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser.No. 530,117 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 9, 1965,9,918/65 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-71) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aself-leveling, storing, and dispensing apparatus comprising, incombination, a vertical cylinder having an open top and an opening inthe side of said cylinder, an article carrier within said cylinder, anda coil spring disposed about said cylinder, the upper end of said coilspring being fixed in relation to said cylinder and the lower end ofsaid coil spring having a projection extending through said opening inthe side of said cylinder supporting said article carrier, andadjustment means to selectively immobilize upper coils of said coilspring, which comprises a clamp member disposed beyond said coil spring,said clamp member having a lower end containing a coil engaging portion,means vertically positioning said clamp member, and means urging thecoil engaging portion in the lower end of said clamp member against acoil of said coil spring clamping the coil of said coil spring againstsaid cylinder.

This invention relates to self-leveling, storing, and dispensingapparatus which maintains a stack of articles, such as dishes, within atube with the uppermost article of the stack maintained at a desiredheight.

In conventional dispensing apparatus for stacked articles, a verticaltube is set with its upper end flush with a counter or like worksurface. A coil spring within the tube urges an article carrier upwards.As a user stacks articles on the carrier, the carrier is forced downcompressing the spring a distance proportional to the weight of eacharticle placed thereon so the topmost article of the stack is always atthe same level. Since such articles vary in weight, thickness, or bothweight and thickness, the spring should be readily adjustable to have adesired deflection for each type of article to be stored and dispensed.The spring in conventional dispensing apparatus is diflicult to reachand adjust.

In one embodiment of the invention, the coil spring in the dispensingapparatus is easily reached and adjusted by using a clamp memberdisposed beyond the coil spring and having a coil engaging portion atits lower end to urge a selected turn of the coil spring against thecylinder.

It is a main object of this invention to provide a dispensing apparatuswhich may easily be adjusted to be self-leveling for a variety ofarticles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus inwhich the article support spring is outside the storage cylinder andnear the top of the storage cylinder so that it may be more easilyadjusted.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dispensing apparatusin which the proportionally deformed spring is in tension and isdisposed beyond any possible contamination or interference in its actionfrom food or other material falling into the storage cylinder.

Many other objects, advantages, and features of invention reside in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts involved in theembodiment of this invention and its practice as will be understood fromthe following description and accompanping drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a dispenseraccording to this invention with a central portion broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the dispenser set in a fragment of a countertop;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4 with the clamp springshown removed.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a wooden counter top 10 or the likehas an opening 11 formed in it to receive the storage cylinder 12.Flange 13 of cylinder 12 rests on the counter top 10 to support cylinder12. Three guide posts 14, 15, and 16 are fixed on flange 13 to extendupwardly about cylinder 12. A tension spring 17, which is normallyalmost closed, extends with moderate clearance around cylinder 12. Thetop end 18 of spring 17 is fixed to cylinder 12 by a clamp 19 or byother suitable means.

The bottom coil 20 of spring 17 has an inward extension 21 which passesthrough a vertical slot 22 in cylinder 12 to be fixed to the bottom ofan article carrier 23 by a clamp 24. A wire or chain 25 may be providedto limit the upward travel of carrier 23. A screw eye 26 or the like inbottom plate 27 may be used to snub the chain 25.

Guide post 14 contains the adjustable spring clamp 30. The upper end 29of clamp 30 is forked to extend on each side of the pivot block 31. Abolt 28 pivotally attaches clamp 30 to the pivot block 31. A handle 32of the pivot block 31 extends through a vertical slot 33 in the post 14.Inner and outer flanges 34 and 35 cooperate to secure pivot block 31slidably within slot 33.

A locking screw 37 is screwed through guide post 14 below slot 33 tocontact clamp 30 and force its lower end 38 against a coil of spring 17.The lower end 38 of clamp 30 contains a notch 39, shown in FIGURE 4, togrip a coil of spring 17 and vertically secure it as it is held againstcylinder 12. A clamp spring 40 is fixed to the end of pivot block 31 bya screw 41 so that the free end of spring 40 bears against clamp 30 tourge it away from spring 17.

The displacement of spring 17, as evidenced by the movement of articlecarrier 23 when articles of a given weight are stacked on it, isadjusted as follows. Screw 37 is backed oflY so that spring 40 pivotsclamp 30 away from the coils of spring 17. By means of handle 32, pivotblock 31 is slid along slot 33 until notch 39 of clamp 30 is positionedover a desired coil of spring 17. As shown in FIGURE 2, this adjustmentmay be determined by an indicating projection 45 of flange 34 and ascale 46 having markings indicating when notch 39 of clamp 30 ispositioned over given coils of the unloaded spring 17. Screw 37 is thentightened to clamp the desired coil of spring 17 in notch 39 againstcylinder 22.

When fewer coils of spring 17 are free below clamp 30 to be deformed bymovement of article carrier 23, a greater weight is required to deflectspring 17 a given distance because each of the free coils of spring 17which are so deflected are deformed to a greater degree which requires agreater force. Thus adjustment of spring 17 is rapidly and easilyaccomplished for a wide variety of articles to be stored and dispensed.

While this invention has been described and shown in the best formknown, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplaryand that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention except as it may be more limited in the appendedclaims wherein What is claimed is:

1. A self-leveling, storing, and dispensing apparatus comprising, incombination, a vertical cylinder having an open top and an opening inthe side of said cylinder, an article carrier within said cylinder, anda coil spring disposed about said cylinder, the upper end of said coilspring being fixed in relation to said cylinder and the lower end ofsaid coil spring having a projection extending through said opening inthe side of said cylinder supporting said article carrier, andadjustment means to selectively immobilize upper coils of said coilspring, which comprises a clamp member disposed beyond said coil spring,said clamp member having a lower end containing a coil engaging portion,means vertically positioning said clamp member, and means urging thecoil engaging portion in the lower end of said clamp member against acoil of said coil spring clamping the coil of said coil spring againstsaid cylinder.

2. The combination according to claim 1 with the addition of guide postsextending upwardly about the open top of said cylinder, one of saidguide posts being hollow and containing an outward facing vertical slot,said means vertically positioning said clamp member being a pivot blockwithin said hollow guide post, said pivot block having a handleextending through said vertical slot slidably securing said pivot block,said clamp member 4.- being pivotally secured to depend from said pivotblock, said means urging the coil engaging portion in the lower end ofsaid clamp member against a coil of said coil spring being a screw fixedin said hollow guide post below said vertical slot against said clampmember pivoting said clamp member inwards.

3. The combination according to claim 2 with the addition of springmeans urging the lower end of said clamp member away from said coilspring.

4. The combination according to claim 3 with the addition of indicatingmeans on said handle of said pivot block, and a scale on said hollowguide post on which said indicating means indicates the coil of saidunloaded coil spring over which the coil engaging portion of said clampmember is positioned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, PrimaryExaminer.

